Hog Love & My Usual Breakfast

I am truly in mourning here today.
I just discovered that we are down to our last package of bacon.

Once upon a time there use to be regular bacon deals when I could stock up on that magical meat product until the next deal rolled around.
The last bacon stock-up deal was at Price Chopper back in 2010.  You can read about it HERE.
If you don't want to look, the deal was 4 packs of bacon for $10.98 total and a $7 Catalina Q.....so after the 1st transaction I was paying $1 a package for 1lb. of bacon.
Stupidly easy and cheap!!!

Well, we are down to the last package.
And while I KNOW in this economy and inflationary period that I won't find $1 bacon now, I've been looking around for the last 2+ months for a real deal on bacon.
And the best I've been able to come up with is $3.49 a package....and only once that low.  The other best prices have all been about $4 a package.
And I'm having a hard time getting myself to pay that for bacon.....because I hold out hope of finding it for a better price after sales/Qs/whatever.

So I shed a tear today for the depletion of my stash of "the gods elixir".
Bacon, how we hardly knew ye......


And since I don't have any pork products to fry up this morning I rustled up my "go-to" breakfast instead.

Have a look at my "go-to" breakfast.

It's plain Greek Yogurt(for my digestion).
I put a tablespoon of flax seeds(for my heart) on it.
Then I put a teaspoon of local honey(for my allergies)on it.
Finish it off with a 1/4 cup of granola with nuts and raisins(nuts for protein and 'cuz I like granola)on top.  If I don't have granola I break up some walnuts and add those instead.

Along side is a banana, though sometimes it's an orange or an apple or some other whole fruit.  The fruit is to help get things moving....if you know what I mean. ;-) 
It also helps ward off scurvy, you know, if I ever decide to take to the sea and become a pirate.

In warm months I have a big glass of ice water, in cold months a big mug of red zinger herbal tea or something similar to wash this all down.


What price are you willing to pay for bacon? 

What is your "go-to" breakfast?

Sluggy 

Food Spending Sept. Week 2, Meal Planning Sept. Week 3

       US Govt. Poster From WWII
***************************************

And here is the "meal plan" that actually happened last week.....

Sunday--Chicken Enchiladas, Caesar Salad

Monday--Steak Tips in Gravy over Brown Rice, Green Beans

Tuesday--Tacos

Wednesday--Pizza

Thursday--Leftovers

Friday--Salmon, Asparagus on the Grill

Saturday--Chinese take-out

The weekly food spending was  $170.02.  $130.37 in reg. grocery spending and $39.65 at Rite-Aid.

Ugh.

While I got some really good deals and accomplished a savings rate of between 45.55% and 56% at the grocery store, it's still a big chunk of money spent.

I spent the $50 on needs as planned and then I did some stock-ups/rock bottom prices on yogurt, spaghetti sauce, chicken, steak, salmon, taco shells, whack biscuits, dehydrated potatoes, pizza rolls for the teen and I bought 4 boxes of cereal.  

I had to laugh at myself buying cereal again.  Besides the casual box or two of cereal I got for free or almost free in my Rite-aid scenarios over the last few years, I haven't 'on purpose' bought cold cereal since the Fall of 2009.

That Summer and Fall I took advantage of a couple of amazing Sales Promotion by Acme markets.  Here's a couple of photos of some of what I got back then....

Let me also mention it was the last time I bought a nasty Pop-Tart....lol

One of those hauls included 19 boxes of cereal, the other one included 45 boxes.  Of course 27 of those boxes ended up going HERE, but I digress.

The point is, I haven't gone out of my way to buy cereal for us until last week, when I bought 4 boxes.  When it was here in such large quantities the kids ignored it and had to be threatened with bodily harm to get them to eat it.  Bring 4 boxes into a "cereal barren landscape" and they are fighting over who gets it first!  I guess it's basic economic theory--the scarcity of a product imbues it with magical powers and the marketplace will set it's value.

Go figure......

I've spent $249.92 of my $400 monthly food budget so far this month. 

I am going into the new week with these leftovers......a tiny bit of taco meat, which I will add to the new filling for the Enchiladas.

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This week's menu.....

Sunday--Burgers on Rolls, Corn

Monday--Stuffed Shells, Green Beans

Tuesday--Beef Enchiladas, leftover Corn

Wednesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad

Thursday--Pork Chops, Potatoes, Beets

Friday--Leftovers-only 2 home

Saturday--Leftovers

 

What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....Ground Beef, Salad Greens.  

Milk, Fruit and some stock-ups('Crack' noodles aka Kraft boxed dinners)will also happen this week.  I'm hoping to "get by" spending $65 this week.

No wait!  There is a Catalina Deal and Hubs needs coffee.

Oh crap.....looks like I'll be going over $400 this month too.

Come back to see how badly I stray from my budget next week! ;-)

So what are you cooking at your house this week?

Sluggy

Are You A Racist?

This is great!
How was I so blind to not see how racist I am against this particular class of people!? lolol




Sluggy

Saturday's Rite-Aid Bounty or Booty-You Decide

Though I am bummed that I had only 3 days to do my "Rite-Aid Thang" this week, and because of the new "can't use the +Ups the same day you get them" rule I had more out of pocket actual spending, I am also soooo glad too that the shopping week is over!

I am spent....literally and figuratively!lol

I noticed last night that R-A had the boxes of full sized candy bars on sale this week for $9.99 AND they gave a $1 +Up Reward, limit of 4.
We have a rep in the neighborhood of giving out awesome Halloween treats, which usually means full sized candy bars.  I'll just say we are very popular on Oct. 31st here. ;-)
Since I wanted to max out on the Gatorade Deal and I lacked enough +Ups to do it without forking out more cash AND I had to buy these candy bars anyway and this is the best price around here for them, I went ahead and hiked up to Rite-Aid last night AGAIN and bought 4 boxes.  While I don't count these in my food budget(the money comes out of the holiday/special occasion budget)I won't count their cost under my monthly food spending.
But.....hehehe....I will take the $4 in +Ups and add it to my stash to spend on food/toiletries this month.
If anyone out there has a problem with this, I suggest you take it up with the Board of Directors here at "Don't Read This; It's Boring!".

And I have no photo of the candy since it got hidden away immediately to keep certain teenagers from devouring it all.
Ok....who am I kidding!  I had to hide it from myself as well..... 8-P



So with that said, I started this morning with $30(the $26 I had + the $4 from the Halloween candy) in +Ups just burning a HOLE in my pocket. ;-)

This went on the BIL's card....

2 x Whole Goodness Grain chip Things 25%off=$4.92
2 x Whole Goodness Oatmeal like substance 25%off=$5.98
2 x No Nononsense Men's sock packs(7 pr. in each)50%off=$6.98
2 x Kotex tampon on sale $3=$6.00 
6 x Regular sized Candy Bars on sale B2G1Free=$3.96
SubTotal......$27.84

Coupons Used
4 x .50¢/1 Whole Goodness product IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/2 Kotex IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/2 Kotex Load2cardQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Kotex AdPerksQ=$1.00
2 x .50¢/2 Reese's bars AdPerksQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$8.00

$27.84-$8.00=19.84 + .06¢tax=$19.90
I used $19 in +Up Rewards and put the .90¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received back $9 in +Up Rewards($3 WYB $10 in Whole Goodness, $5 WYB2 No Nonsense, $1 WYB2 Kotex).
So after Qs and +Ups the Kotex was free, the 4 food products were $5.90 for all 4(or $1.475 ea.), the Socks were $1.98 for 14 pairs(or .14¢ ea.) and the candy bars were .49+¢ each.

Then on my card I gots this............

And this.....

2 x Kotex on sale $3=$6.00
2 x Brach's candy corn mix on sale $1=$2.00
2 x Stride gum on sale $1=$2.00
10 x Gatorade on sale $1=$10.00
SubTotal.....$20.00

Coupons Used
1 x $2/2 Kotex IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/2 Kotex Load2cardQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Kotex AdPerksQ=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Brach's candy IPQ=$1.00
1 x BOGOFree Stride IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$7.00

$20.00-$7.00=$13.00 + .06¢tax=$13.06
I used $11 of yesterday's +Up Rewards and put the $2.06 on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received back $9 in +Up Rewards(2 x $3 Gatorade-1 monthly/1 weekly deal, $1 WYB2 Brach's, $1 WYB2 Stride gum, $1 WYB2 Kotex).

September Grand Totals so far.....

Out Of Pocket....$38.65  cash
Value of items bought....$286.47
Savings Rate of  86.51%
Single Check Rebate due....$5.00
Other Rebates due......$3.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $30.65
Savings Rate  89.30%

+Ups at beginning of month...$18+
+Ups used....$85+
+Ups received...$85+($18 today plus adding in the $4 from late last night)
+Ups currently...$18+


As for next week at Rite-Aid?

Not a lot that I want/need.
Maybe some "Bliss" chocolate, a Sammy Foam raincheck and some Incense to roll about $5 of the +Ups....that way I only have to roll/spend $13 of the $18 I have the following week.

What's looking like a deal to you at Rite-Aid next week?


 Sluggy

Where Did Precious Go?

I'm hoping Precious at "Frugal Makes Cents" reads this.
We can't get on your blog again.  We're getting the "Only Invited Readers" Message.
I don't know if this is a snafu or an accidental change, so could you email me as I don't have your email addy.
I hope everything is ok...
Thanks!

Sluggy